The Wii U's Splatoon made quite the splash when it burst onto the gaming scene for the first time in 2015. This colorful ink-blasting shooter gathered a passionate following worldwide for its simple-yet-appealing gameplay that rewarded making a mess above all else. Two Switch sequels would follow, polishing and fleshing out the accessible, action-packed gameplay. The result? The definitive multiplayer shooter on the console.
With its uniquely wild gameplay, many have sought other shooters with similar cartoony traits, kid-friendly sensibilities, or creative twists on the genre. While the FPS front on Switch is somewhat thin compared to most genres, there are some shooters, platformers, and action romps that have much of the same zany Splatoon vibe and bring similar mechanics to the fold.
Updated January 3, 2023 by Stephen LaGioia: The anticipated Splatoon 3 has been released on Switch to much appraisal, thanks to the slew of additions in multiplayer mode, as well as the more fleshed-out campaign. This has helped established Splatoon as a family-friendly shooter, which has seen a number of similar efforts over the years. And so, we thought we'd revisit this list and highlight more great Splatoon alternatives.
15 Rad
This wild post-apocalyptic roguelike from Double Fine may seem like an odd pick, given its distinct, grueling gameplay that stresses brute force and countless upgrades. Yet, it does bring a distinct feel akin to Nintendo's colorful shooter — with a vibrant visual style, whimsical themes, and an onslaught of unique foes to target.
Rad is also rife with toxic materials that are used both as weaponry as well as hazards to be avoided, not unlike Splatoon's ink mechanics. The game has you power through procedurally-generated dungeons crawling with mutated monsters. All the while, you'll collect goodies, unlock more areas, and wield interchangeable, upgradable attacks in the form of "mutations" as you fend off foes.
14 Morphies Law
The mechanics of this interesting indie shooter are far from perfect. Yet, the creative twist on the typical FPS formula makes Morphies Law more than worth it, especially for Splatoon fans who like a shooter with unique ideas. Though the premise similarly revolves around competitive FPS gameplay, that's where the similarities end.
The goal is to shoot at targeted body parts of your robotic opponents, whose size will change based on what's been hit and what they're hitting. This innovative mechanic makes for a sort of natural balancing, as larger players will be easier targets and cannot access certain areas. Like the Splatoon series' liquid inky mechanics, this ability to alter limb sizes provides the crux of the enjoyment and intrigue, offering a truly unique FPS experience.
13 Plants Vs. Zombies: Battle For Neighborville
Plants Vs. Zombies hit the mobile scene emphatically over a decade ago, and has since become a known IP when it comes to accesible romps for the whole family. This cartoony third-person shooter is little different. While far removed from its tower defense origins, this spin-off is similarly charming, and more action-packed.
The game is fairly simple to pick up and play, but buries subtle depth with an array of weapons and troops, each with their own roles in battle (healers, swarmers, defenders, snipers, and so on). The fluid, arena-style combat is quite similar to Nintendo's shooter — just with more gunplay and fewer inky messes. Battle for Neighborville even offers some PvE content, not unlike those found in the Splatoon sequels.
12 Earth Defense Force: World Brothers
This cult hit has quietly become a fan-favorite for those who enjoy undiluted and frenetic TPS gameplay. In this blocky 2020 spin-off of Earth Defense Force, you'll blast your way through segmented Earth colonies of the future, which have been taken over by large alien bugs, monsters, and hostile robots.
The game feels part Godzilla movie and part campy action sci-fi — you'll run and jet across vibrant locales to complete humanity-saving missions. In the meantime, you'll rescue soldiers to recruit them, gather weapons and accessories, and pilot awesome vehicles.
11 Knockout City
Hitting the gaming scene with a bang, this breakout hit became even more popular when transitioning into a free-to-play model in mid-2022. In Knockout City, you'll team up and face off against opponents in a wild dodgeball romp.
The frantic pacing and solid controls are enough to keep you hooked, but Velan Studios adds depth with various types of balls with unique behaviors. These include exploding Bomb Balls and high-jumping Moon Balls. And as an amusing bonus, you can even use another player as a makeshift weapon to be hurled at an opponent.
10 Ninjala
Swap out ink shooting with giant wads of bubble gum and blunt objects, and the result might be this arena action game by GungHo Online Entertainment. While a bit rough around the edges, Ninjala brings palatable mechanics that are solid enough to tackle as you fight through eight-player skirmishes.
Ninjala has a charming simplicity, focused mainly on swinging around melee weapons, but thrives on its bubble gum mechanics. These can be blown and popped on unsuspecting players to trap or blast them into oblivion, building up the user's abilities. The game even features a passive-yet-productive action (Splatoon style) for those who want a break from the chaos, as you can target various spawning drones that feed into the size of your weapon.
9 De Blob 2
Though this charming, lighthearted puzzler doesn't hold most of the shooter qualities of Splatoon, it revolves around a similar premise — color-coding areas of the environment covered by your character.
Originally a Wii release, this game looks as vibrant and pretty as ever on the Switch, and its pick-up-and-play sensibilities lend themselves to the Switch's handheld feature. This is definitely a must-play for those who enjoy Splatoon's distinct knack for coloring virtual worlds around you.
8 Immortal Redneck
One of the most overlooked FPS romps for Switch, unfortunately, lacks a multiplayer feature to give it more attention. Still, when it comes to the solo features, Immortal Redneck impresses with some sleek but colorful visuals, fun Egyptian dungeon settings, awesome powers, and a slew of baddies.
The game has a zany Duke Nukem vibe with its whimsical sense of humor, though perhaps a bit more kid-friendly. The game's various heroes, weaponry, and randomly generated dungeons ensure that you'll get a unique, action-packed experience each time, despite the simple run-and-gun premise.
7 Katamari Damacy REROLL
You can say that this cute little action-puzzler from Namco is quite opposed to the premise of Splatoon in a sense, despite feeling similar. While that shooter is about making a mess, this one revolves more around the idea of cleaning up a smattering of random items sprinkled about.
Much like Splatoon, you can make real progress and have a good time simply running around and covering a fair bit of terrain. The accessible, free-flowing gameplay makes Katamari Damacy REROLL a colorful, kid-friendly experience, minus the player vs player aspect.
6 Daemon X Machina
You don't often hear much about this once Switch exclusive, as it tends to get overshadowed by the action-romp that is Astral Chain, released around the same time. Yet, this is an exciting action title that leans more in the direction of an airborne shooter, as opposed to the close-range sword combat that game emphasizes.
Much like the Splatoon games, Daemon X Machina tosses you into a 3D arena and offers fun, satisfying, and responsive shooting mechanics. At the same time, you're given an impressive level of customization to power up your mechs and keep things feeling fresh.
5 Crayola Scoot
In a sense, it's understandable why such a game would manage to slip under the radar, given its cartoony name perhaps being offputting to older gamers. Yet, Crayola Scoot actually does bring an amusing blend of action and extreme-sports gameplay, which younger gamers should especially enjoy.
Basically, take the colorful paint-splotching of Splatoon and mix it with the halfpipe skating frenzy of Tony Hawk games and you might have this fun competitive game. The scooting, paint-dousing gameplay is straightforward in one sense, though it offers a slew of exciting game modes to keep things interesting.
4 Luigi's Mansion 3
This delightful kid-friendly horror featuring Mario's often-neglected brother focuses on gathering targets rather than making a mess of them. Regardless, the aim-and-fire mechanics of Luigi's Mansion 3 is similarly fast-paced, fluid, and easy to wrap your head around.
This third iteration of this underrated series further fleshes out the gameplay with new multiplayer modes and sleeker aesthetics that look akin to a ghost-laden Pixar film. You can even connect with up to seven other players online and take part in some chaotic ghost-busting together, or face off in various exciting competitions.
3 Warframe
Not only are there loads of adrenaline-fueled shooters to be found on the Switch now, but you've even got some free-to-play options that prove surprisingly fun and deep. Enter Warframe, a game that has the benefit of having years of seasoning. This has made for a refined, content-filled experience, despite being a fairly recently entry for Switch.
Like an edgier, darker version of Splatoon, Warframe has a ton of close and long-range weapons and abilities to fool around with, swift action, and a varying list of objective-based gameplay. While the learning curve is a bit steeper in this one, those who take the time to get acquainted with Warframe are in for a wild, action-packed ride.
2 Paladins
There are quite a few similarities when it comes to Splatoon and this hero-based shooter from Evil Mojo Games, including the competitive aspect that pits small teams against one another. You've also got a diverse palette of imaginative maps, unique powers/abilities, and over-the-top weapons.
This game uses a similarly accessible system of combat, while opening things up with an array of character options, weapons, and customizations. The cartoon-like attributes will remind you of Splatoon with a bit more depth.
1 Overwatch 2
One of the few innovative shooters that could stand toe-to-toe with the highly fun Splatoon is Blizzard's Overwatch; the multiplayer romp which has seen new life with a sequel, Overwatch 2. Like the ink-based shooter, Overwatch emphasizes zone control, cohesive team support, and area-of-effect attacks more than straight-up mechanics and 1 v 1 duels.
This is a team-based game, first and foremost, and your choice of hero largely determines your role. This is similar to entering a Splatoon match with, say, the Splat Roller, as your focus becomes covering the map with trails of ink. Just like that series, Overwatch allows for endless off-the-wall fun by pitting two teams against each other, each equipped with a range of different abilities and weapons.